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Dick Smith

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Posts posted by Dick Smith

    Knighthoods

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    [quote]Well Dick. You might not be a racist or a troll. But what Mik says is true and if the "plotters" had not been white, they more then likely would have had a hand out from the British Government. By th...[/quote]

    I know all about PC? Why is that, my anonymous friend? I just object to racists and the generally unpleasant.

    Knighthoods

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    I think the point is that you don't hear about it so much - with sports people and showbizzers the faults are made public because of their fame, and they are then turned down as a bad example. I suspect.

    I agree about Jimmy Greaves. However - if he had been offered an honour and turned it down you would never know about it.

    As for the quotes thing - I'm still trying to get it work. I have tried highlighting the part I want to quote before I click on the 'quote' button, but you still only get 2 lines.

    And I can't seem to modify text in messages (italics etc.)

    Sacha Distel

    in French Culture

    Posted

    [quote]But talking of Sachi Distel, which we were until Dick mentioned this woman of a certain age that I've never actually heard of, did anyone read the interview with Sacha's widow in Saturday's Telegraph?...[/quote]

    I was responding to your point about 'women of a certain age'!

    Sylvie Vartan is a mega-ish star, a pretty big deal in France. Have a look at

    http://www.rfimusique.com/siteFr/biographie/biographie_8944.asp

    for her biography.

    Knighthoods

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    [quote]Be careful what you say, Dick. Trolls still exist in Iceland, you know. But Dunrunnin has a point. Watch out for email scams now, from impoverished son of crazed ex-leader of small island off the c...[/quote]

    Ho ho - I get up to 100 junk emails a day - but Entourage is very efficient. I sometimes reply, using a hoaxing hotmail account. Usually to the ones who claim religious reasons for ripping me off...

    And Trolls are Norwegian, as far as I know, like my grandad Oskar.

    Knighthoods

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    All of the players who played in the final have been honoured (including George Cohen) but most as late as 2000, when several who had not been honoured were given MBEs. The list I was looking at predated that. The honours are widely varied, and some were given for other activities:

    Gordon Banks – OBE 1972

    George Cohen – MBE 2000

    Ray Wilson – MBE when? 2000?

    Nobby Stiles – OBE 2000

    Jackie Charlton – OBE when?

    Sir Robert Moore – Knighthood

    Roger Hunt – MBE 2000

    Alan Ball – MBE 2000

    Sir Robert Charlton - Knighthood

    Geoff Hurst – MBE 1998

    Martin Peters – MBE when?

    Why some are OBEs and others are MBEs I couldn't say.

    Auto Censorship

    in Forum Technical Support

    Posted

    As noted elsewhere, the auto-censor has asterisked out ****tail and M****illes, which seems a bit strong. I presume that there are changes which can be made to make sure that only whole cuss-words are asterisked as in **** and ****** and *** ***** **** so that we can then use words such as ******** (in the plumbing sections of course) and ****nal (whenever we're winding Miki up)(and also possibly that other club up North).

    Failing that, can we have a separate section for the puerile pleasure of provoking asterisks?

    Liberation of Paris

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    Those were the Alsaciens of whom I spoke, the ones who were let go, and that was done for reasons of national unity. Most of the Das Reich division were themselves killed at Mortain in August 1944. There was a degree of ambiguity as to whether or not the Alsaciens were volunteers or conscripts, which allowed for some wiggle room.

    The Paris resistance was very active in attacking the Germans for some days before they (the Germans) decided to leave. Actions began on August 15th and the Germans surrendered on the 25th. For the chronology see

    http://www.paris.org/Expos/Liberation/chronoA.html

    By M CdG do you mean Charles de Gaulle? (He was a General, not a Mareschal or a Monsieur). I think his attitude towards the USA was somewhat more nuanced than you suggest. He was, however, keen that Paris should be liberated by French troops (in fact those headed by General Leclerc), 'supported' by Allied troops (the British and Empire forces were around there too). He was also struggling against internal enemies (the communists) and yet wanted France to remain mistress of her own destiny, so he played up the cross of Lorraine, Jeanne d'Arc etc and France's own rôle.

    As de Gaulle put it:

    "Paris ! Paris outragé ! Paris brisé ! Paris martyrisé ! Mais Paris libéré ! Libéré par lui-même, libéré par son peuple avec le concours des armées de la France, avec l'appui et le concours de la France tout entière, de la France qui se bat, de la seule France, de la vraie France, de la France éternelle."

    We should also remember the events at Tulle and M****illes, amongst many other atrocities, to understand the ambiguity of French feeling about the occupation.

    URSSAF - what's it all about? and CPAM

    in Earning a Living

    Posted

    [quote]Mikki, To me Socialism is that everyone who has an income contributes to the system. I only find it strange that people who do contribute a lot, the self employed, do not get to enjoy that very same ...[/quote]

    I understand that it was meant to be sarcastic but the blame cannot simply be laid at the door of socialism can it.

    No, it can't, but it's so very easy to do for some people... especially if you have had years of the Daily Mail et al pounding away at the same mendacious tune.

    I don't know about being self-employed in France, but I know that in the UK the tax benefits alone make insurance against not working a very viable option. Is it the same in France, or have all the dodges and wrinkles been sussed?

    Knighthoods

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    [quote]Hello I do not know what all the hoo ha about Sir Mark thatcher is about. He seems to have been pilloried for financing the replacment of one darky despot with another and collecting a bit of dosh i...[/quote]

    No I don't. But then I'm not a racist. Or a troll.

    Liberation of Paris

    in The Complete France Post Bag

    Posted

    I was told that this was because one didn't always know if one's interlocutor had been resistant or collaborator... Certainly there was enough resentment flying about in all directions (especially in the possible-communist-takeover period) to keep it out of polite discourse.

    French or Turkish?

    in French Culture

    Posted

    Somewhere - I think at Le Chateau d'Oleron - there are 'asiatic' loos which are flushed by the incoming sea - it just sloshes up through the castle walls (conveniently situated in the Atlantic) and shoots up the tube. Must have been a very nasty shock if a particularly violent (and cold) wave came through whilst one was squatting...

    Sacha Distel

    in French Culture

    Posted

    Only me - Margaret's on the other side (of the world, not TF). Insomnia after the drive home - the A3 was a culture shock after a few weeks of the roads in Normandy (and the spray!). Oh, and the sheer pleasure of being back on Broadband.
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